


Adventures in Babysitting with Aunt Felicity and Uncle Oliver

by lizook12



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizook12/pseuds/lizook12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there’s anything she’s learned about baby-sitting for her nephew, it’s that having too much is way better than having too little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adventures in Babysitting with Aunt Felicity and Uncle Oliver

**Author's Note:**

> This is all **spyglass** and **effie214** 's fault. Enjoy :)

i.  
“Uncle Oliver, will you please...” She closes her eyes, shakes her head at the crying six-month-old in her arms. “Please, stop pacing. You’re driving us both crazy.”

“I really don’t think Ethan’s concerned with me right now.” He turns in the tight space they’re quarantined to in the ER, rubs his hand over the back of his neck. “He seems more focused on screaming his lungs out and wondering why Uncle Oliver and Aunt Felicity brought him to a place with such bright lights.”

“Because he had an one hundred and three degree temperature.”

“I know, Felicity, I know.” He pivots again. “I just mean, it’s probably a little overwhelming; especially when you’re not feeling well and— Damn it.”

He knocks over the supply cart he’s been routinely avoiding since the nurse brought them back ten minutes ago, and she can’t help but giggle as he bends, piling the upended items in one drawer.

“Do you think we should call Lyla and Digg?” She continues rocking Ethan, murmuring reassurances against his warm cheek as Oliver rights himself. “I don’t want to interrupt their first date in a long time, but they might be mad that we didn’t tell them right away and... Lyla’s a little scary. And what if he catches something from another patient here? Someone could be carry—”

Oliver’s hand lands on her shoulder, fingers squeezing gently. “Breathe. We’re here now; best just to let the doctor look at him and then, if we have to, we’ll get in touch with them.”

Despite the reassurance in his voice, she can feel how tense he is and she runs her free hand through her hair, cuddles the baby closer to her, as she leans back against him.

“I know, I just... How are we going to explain to John?”

“We were concerned and...” He brushes his thumb along her throat. “Emergencies run in the family.”

“Hopefully, he doesn’t take after his uncle...”

“His aunt has seen her share of—”

The rest of the sentence dies as the ER doctor pulls back the curtain, quickly lifting Ethan from her arms. She asks a few routine questions, babbles to the baby as she looks him over, and all Felicity can do is clutch Oliver’s hand, hope with everything that it’s nothing serious.

The minutes that pass start to seem like hours and then finally—finally—the doctor stands, handing Ethan to Oliver. “We’ve been seeing a lot of this; a fairly mild bug, but it seems to hit the little ones pretty hard.” She finishes scrawling something on the chart and hands Felicity a small slip of paper. “Just have this prescription filled and watch the fever and he’ll bounce back in no time.”

She’s gone before Felicity can even open her mouth to say ‘thank you’ and she stands, blowing out a shaky breath. “Ok big boy, let’s start getting you better.” Her hand rubs down Ethan’s back as Oliver pushes through the curtain and they start down the hall.

“Yeah...” He smiles at her over the baby’s head, arm falling across her shoulders. “And then Aunt Felicity can finish trouncing me at Go Fish.”

  
ii.  
“Are you sure you packed enough?” He glances at the bottom of the stroller again before closing the tailgate of Digg’s truck.

“I wanted to make sure we were prepared.” She pulls her hair back, loops it through her baseball cap, before smiling down at Ethan, already comfortable in the seat of stroller. “The weather changes quickly right now and while two-year-olds aren’t as affected as babies—”

“I got it.” He grins, hitching the diaper bag over his shoulder. “That still seems like a lot of blankets though.”

“There’s a jacket and a little sweatshirt with a hood, too.” Grinning, she starts down the trail into the park, fingers tapping a rhythm against the handle of the stroller as Oliver falls into step next to her.

Yes, she did throw some extra clothes and Ethan’s favorite stuffed animal (a penguin named Lee) in the bottom basket, but he may be right about the blankets; six might be two too many.

Still, they’re prepared.

And, if there’s anything she’s learned about baby-sitting for her nephew, it’s that having too much is way better than having too little.

Sneaking a glance at the man beside her she laughs as the bag slips off his wide shoulders and he grumbles, hastily pushing it back into place.

“You know that bag really doesn’t match your coat.”

“It matches yours though.”

She just tips her head towards him and smirks, jogging ahead, Ethan laughing from below as the increased wind ruffles his hair.

Oliver stands in wonder for a long moment, mouth curving up at her ponytail slicing through the air, the cocky grin she throws over her shoulder at him, before he pushes ahead, running after her.

“You...” He breathes as he catches up to her, fingers curling over hers on the handle of the stroller as he nods at a woman who’s clearly mistaken them for a family. “You match me.”

  
iii.  
“Ok, little man, you get the paints.” She finishes spreading newspaper over Digg’s dining room table as Oliver grabs the cup full of paintbrushes on the counter behind them,

“Got ‘em!” Ethan comes screeching in, socks sliding on the floor as he slams the paints next to the brushes and climbs up onto a chair.

“I wish I had as much energy as four-year-olds.” Felicity mutters, shaking her head as she places several cups of water around the table.

“You have plenty of energy.” Oliver winks, then settles across from Ethan. “Hey, bud, remember we need a new picture for the ‘office’.”

“Got it!” His little head nods and then he’s pulling supplies to him, blue already streaking down his arm as he sketches a squiggly line across the blank paper.

“You know, I think...” Pushing her glasses up, she scoots into the chair next to Oliver. “I think we should see who can come up with the best artwork for the other person.”

“Oh, you’re on.”

Silence and warmth settles around them as they all work, Felicity and Oliver elbowing each other back and forth as they trade colors, try to sneak a glimpse at whatever the other person is drawing.

“Look, I made a boat for your office, Uncle Oliver!”

“It’s great!” He curves his arm around his paper as Felicity tries to use his distraction to sabotage his picture. “You should make something for your dad though; he’ll be sad if you don’t.”

“Think so, Aunt Leecity?”

“Yeah, I do; he always brags about what a great little artist you are.”

“Ok!” He bites down on his lip, little fingers gripping the brush hard in concentration as he starts painting once more.

Colors start mixing together, smearing over the paper, as they begin drawing again, laughter bubbling up as Ethan regales them with stories about Digg making him pancakes ( _they were supposed to be dinosaurs, but they looked more like giraffes_ ) and the books they’re reading and _can we go back to the zoo soon?_

Felicity is just answering that they can when the little boy stands on his chair, displaying a picture of the jungle, a man hanging off a vine between trees.

“Do you think Dad will like it?”  

“He’ll love it. Now...” She scoots her chair back, grinning as he catches on to her hint and runs around the table, climbing up next to her and peering over her shoulder. “Whose picture is better? Mine or Uncle Oliver’s?”

He looks intently for a long moment, finger tapping against his chin and Oliver has to force back a chuckle at the solemn look on his face when he turns to Felicity and informs her that Oliver’s the winner.

“Alright...” She leans back in her chair, gestures down the hall. “Go clean up in your bathroom.”

“Yes ma’am!” He giggles, makes a detour through the kitchen, and heads off.

Standing, she turns towards Oliver, narrows her eyes. “How much did you pay him?”

He just grins in response, pushing up from the table and quickly closing the distance between them. His dimples appear, one eyebrow lifting, as he ducks his head and kisses her, hands cradling her face as she sighs against him,  

Rocking up to meet him, she laughs as the brush she’s still holding falls to the floor with a soft thud and he shrugs, eyes slamming shut as her arms wrap around his waist, lips press roughly to his.

Her fingers flex on his back, tease his sides, and then he’s tugging her even closer, knee nudging between hers, thumb stroking over her cheek as she makes that soft noise in the back of her throat that drives him crazy.

Leaning into the embrace, she deepens the kiss once more before forcing herself to pull away, his groan fanning across her jaw as he remains wrapped around her, forehead falling to her shoulder.

“We should...” Her teeth tug at her lower lip, hands continuing to roam over him as she blinks slowly, tries to regain her footing. “Should probably start cleaning up, too, before—”

The front door swings open and they jump apart, hips pressing together as Ethan comes back in, hands still wet. Oliver guides him into the kitchen to dry them off as Digg sets his bag down, pushes the door shut, and just laughs.

And laughs.

Paint is everywhere.

Smeared across the fridge, on the corner of the table, brushed over Felicity’s face and the ass of Oliver’s jeans.

“Well...” Digg leans against a dining room chair as Oliver finishes drying both his and Ethan’s hands then picks the boy up, making him ‘fly’ as Felicity watches, smiling, fingers absentmindedly picking up the discarded brushes. “Well, at least it stopped before paint ended up on our couch...”


End file.
